Hindsight

Being in Barcelona as a college graduate is undoubtedly much different than being here as a student studying abroad. Hanging around with college kids will definitely throw waves of nostalgia at you, and also make you rethink your time abroad. I hear all of these plans and new questions, and can’t help but to think of things that I would have done differently.

1. I would have spent my time traveling to those places I will probably never go again. Not to say in any way that I didn’t love the traveling that I did in Europe – there wasn’t a city I didn’t like or an experience that I regret. But I wish I had been a little more adventurous, and chosen the places like Istanbul, Morocco, Hungary. Those are all places that I will most likely never go with my family later on in life, and even with the best job in the world some of them may not work out.

2.     I would have spent more time exploring Paris and less time being hungover. Granted, most Barcelona kids go out during the week so they’re just hungover during class, but I had my fair share of Fridays and Saturdays that were spent watching tv online instead of out and about learning the city in which I was living. I am so lucky that I have gotten to go back to Paris, but if I could say anything to my study abroad self, it would be “the whole bottle isn’t worth it."

3.     I would have sent more postcards. My boyfriend at the time’s Granny lived in the south of England, and had an entire wall of postcards from all of her family and friends and the places they’d been. I actually did send her a postcard from every place that I went, but I wish I had sent them to my family, to my friends, etc. How cool would it be for my 10 yr old sister to have a postcard timeline from my travels abroad? I’m definitely trying to make an effort now, but it won’t be the same.

4.     I would have done a homestay. Now, for anyone already abroad, this is moot, but for those of you considering it – there is nothing like the challenge of living with another family and their culture to really allow you to understand a new city. Living in France this summer was one of the most life-changing experiences I’ve ever had, and not only am I now fluent in French, but I feel like I can relate to the French people as a whole.

I’m sure there are more, but this isn’t meant to sound like a wave of regrets. I absolutely loved being abroad, which is why I came back to Europe this year - I couldn’t get it out of my system. It’s just a reminder to appreciate every single small detail and to see the bigger picture at the same time. This opportunity really is just once in a lifetime, and as Ferris tells us, don’t miss it.